Spain, Cabo Verde and Others: 2026 World Cup hit by seven match-fixing allegations

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come under scrutiny after an international advisory group reportedly flagged seven alerts over potential match-fixing linked to sports betting during the tournament.

Although the group's full report has yet to be made public, several incidents, according to The Athletic, have reportedly been highlighted as raising concerns and warranting further review.

Among them is the red card shown to South Africa player Themba Zwane during his side's opening match against Mexico.

The advisory group also reportedly flagged unusual betting patterns before Spain's group-stage clash with Cabo Verde, with one betting platform said to have received more than €4 million in wagers predicting that Spain would fail to win the match. The encounter eventually ended in a draw.

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Another incident under review is the lengthy VAR intervention during Spain's match against Saudi Arabia.

Officials took 3 minutes and 30 seconds to overturn a goal scored by Ferran Torres, a delay that has reportedly drawn attention from integrity monitors.

Despite the reported alerts, FIFA has maintained that the tournament remained free from match manipulation.

The governing body's Integrity Task Force said all 104 matches at the expanded World Cup were monitored in real time using advanced betting surveillance systems and integrity protocols.

According to FIFA, no suspicious betting activity or evidence of match-fixing was detected during the competition.

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